Notcutts, Bagshot, Surrey

Site history

The 12ha site lies in the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area, and a previous attempt in 2003 was rejected while planning issues around heathland conservation had to be resolved, and the site was set aside for housing by district planners in 2007.

Notcutts Garden Centre is on London Road in Bagshot (pop: 5365), and sold the adjoining nursery site to Camberley developer Charles Church Southern Ltd. The garden centre will stay, but with a redesigned car park.

Scheme history

Charles Church acquired the nursery from Notcutts in 2003, but plans for 195 homes were quashed and the appeal failed. A new application in 2007 for 182 homes was successful, and Charles Church selected us as affordable housing partner.

The scheme is made up of 115 houses, 59 flats and eight maisonettes, and with 50% affordable housing, Sentinel will be handed over 12 x 1 bed flats, 19 x 2 bed flats, 1 x 3 bed flat, 8 x 2 bed houses, 10 x 3 bed houses, 5 x 4 bed houses. Some of the 36 shared ownership apartments may be converted to intermediate market rent to respond to emerging market conditions.

The project is supported with £4.47m of subsidy from the Homes & Communities Agency, and the affordable homes will be built to Code for Sustainable Homes level 3.

Features

Modern Methods of Construction include using Space 4 Off site manufacturing, and Secure By Design principles. Parking works out at 1.5 spaces per home.

Access is from the A30 London Road, where a traffic lit junction is to be installed, and the plan incorporates a 7.5ha landscaped open space. In addition, developer contributions will provide two new bus shelters, better footpaths to the railway station, school places, drainage improvements, while a management company will be set up to look after the new park.

Completion date: November 2011

Local authority: Surrey Heath

Developer: Charles Church Southern Ltd

Architect: Simon Cooper Associates

Cost: £14m

Employers Agent: Welling Partnership

No homes 182 inc 91 affordable (55 rented and 36 shared ownership)